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Strange brew

An all-star band stirs up an exotic blend

By Tony Ozuna
For The Prague Post
May 9th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Sean Noonan returns to Prague with a fresh take on world music.
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Drummer Sean Noonan claims to have performed in Prague at least eight times with his New York–based jazz-punk trio The Hub. But his upcoming concert with Sean Noonan’s Brewed by Noon will be a totally different affair.
This band plays a raw amalgamation of West African folk music rooted in griot, mixed with Gaelic folk songs and gritty New York jazz and rock. And it features some superb musicians, including African percussionist Abdoulaye Diabate and American jazz bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma.
Brewed by Noon

When: Wednesday, May 16, at 8
Where: Baráčnická rychta
Tickets: 300 Kč, available through Ticketpro, Ticketstream and at the venue

Noonan is a young musician and was only able to assemble such an impressive roster of musicians for his project after receiving a commission from the American Composers Forum. He also had help from the Canadian label Songlines, which has just released his newest CD, Stories to Tell, and has a reputation for supporting and funding exceptional jazz projects from New York.
“Songlines helped me discover my vision and concept for the project, where I am working to merge and create Afro-Celtic traditions,” Noonan says.
Griot is the term used in West Africa to designate traveling musicians, or specifically troubadours — the counterparts of medieval minstrels in Europe, community-level storytellers, gossips, historians and philosopher-musicians all wrapped in one. “[Diabate’s] praise singing and storytelling helps me convey my folklore vision,” Noonan says.
On his more popular recordings, Diabate’s voice has a soothing and irresistibly swinging elegance, especially on some impressive Afro-electro dance tracks. In contrast, his vocals on Brewed by Noon are closer to raw West African folk music, sung in Bamabara, his Malian language, either solo or sometimes in a duet with Gaelic singers.
Marc Ribot, a famed New York guitarist, adds the hardest edge to the band, though not in his uniquely angular jazz style. With Brewed by Noon, Ribot explores a blues and ’70s jazz-rock fusion sound that is searing and formidable. Unfortunately, Ribot will not be on hand in Prague. The Brewed by Noon ensemble that will play here features Abdoulaye Diabate (on vocals, guitar and percussion), Mat Maneri on violin, Aram Bakajian on guitar and Tacuma, a funky bass wizard from Philadelphia who played with Ornette Coleman’s electric jazz group Prime Time.
West African music has influenced European and American music primarily by introducing its polyrhythmic folk music into more popular forms. For instance, the European electronica scene has a good number of progressive DJs from Paris and London who remix contemporary African rhythms. And groups of European and West African musicians such as Diabate are creating a new, hybrid Afro-electrobeat dance music for a fresh generation of listeners.
The West African influence on Noonan and other U.S. musicians is different, mostly because electronica isn’t as popular in the United States. But rock, jazz, punk, blues, folk music, soul and hip-hop all share a common core of having a story in the song. Noonan has latched onto that and pushed it into another dimension by combining West African griot with Gaelic folk stories in a whirling blend.
At its best, Brewed by Noon offers a soothingly unique blend of music. With so many musical and cultural ingredients in the mix, it can also be rough around the edges. Still, this is a first-rate group of musicians who are well worth hearing live, however raw or polished the sound.

Tony Ozuna can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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